does data's characterization make no sense?

[sonak]

I know that Data was a popular character and that he was offering the "outsider" perspective on a mostly-human crew. However, considering how long he'd been active and his Starfleet education before the start of "Farpoint," how did it make sense for him to be as clueless as he was about Human culture, language, etc. Sure, it made for good comedy, but poor realism. An android with his brain capacity who had access to something even as 21st century as the internet would still be an expert on human culture and behavior.

Also, there's a way they could've fixed this, by having him been much more recently activated. He could've breezed through his time at Starfleet Academy due to him being an android. But I guess since they wanted him as a senior officer, that wouldn't have worked, since he'd need some time to move up in the ranks.

 

[Christopher]

I know that Data was a popular character and that he was offering the "outsider" perspective on a mostly-human crew. However, considering how long he'd been active and his Starfleet education before the start of "Farpoint," how did it make sense for him to be as clueless as he was about Human culture, language, etc. Sure, it made for good comedy, but poor realism. An android with his brain capacity who had access to something even as 21st century as the internet would still be an expert on human culture and behavior.

Not necessarily. There are people in real life, people with high-function Asperger's Syndrome, who can be a lot like Data. They're highly intelligent and logical but lacking in social insight and the ability to read others' emotional cues, and so things like figurative language (which require the ability to see the nonverbal and contextual cues indicating that the actual meaning differs from the literal meaning) are hard for them to understand, even as adults who've been surrounded by it all their lives. And cultural conventions and attitudes can also be quite bewildering to someone who can't tap into the social zietgeist that other people participate in. You can have the necessary book-learning to rattle off facts about cultural conventions and norms and behaviors and such, but that's a far cry from understanding their meaning.

I don't think the creators of TNG had this specifically in mind, since autistic-spectrum behavioral syndromes weren't as well-understood back then, but by happenstance or not, their portrayal of Data is actually rather plausible.

Except for the "can't use contractions" thing. That was just dumb.

 

[Marten]

I have always assumed that he was kept quiete by himself before he came aboard Enterprise.

 

[TiberiusMaximus]

It's his lack of a lack of emotion that gets to me...my theory is that he actually has emotions, the emotion chip doesn't give him emotions but helps him understand that he is feeling emotions. Still, it didn't make a lot of sense.

 

[CaptainStoner]

Data possessed a lot of knowledge of human culture, but without any emotional circuits (or very limited and evolving as the case eventually seemed to be) much of it would still be very difficult to comprehend, or have any context for.
He did seem to be missing information entirely on metaphors and sayings, which although a common humorous device in earlier seasons, might not have made sense, as he could have just downloaded all the common and uncommon ones and easily devised a translation routine for himself.
That is part of the "product of its time" aspect of TNG. We also see the crew sometimes slowly verbally interacting with the computer doing essentially a search engine, I found that most pronounced in episodes like "Darmok", where Data and Troi are almost painfully slowly figuring out some commonalities in the Tamorian language. Something more realistically Data would have run a crosscheck on in less than a second.
But, what keeps Data realistic for me is the later devleopments in which we find that Soong made him more than just an emotionless android. He was actually something of an "organic" being himself, much more than just a walking computer, but also facing some of the "limitations" of organic beings as he grew and evolved.

 

[Alrik]

Other things to consider are that perhaps the Enterprise crew was the first to fully accept Data as an equal and be willing to interact with him as such. Maddox viewed Data as nothing more than a machine in Measure of A Man and Hobson showed outright rejudice towards him when he took command of the Sutherland in Redemption (II). Maybe their attitudes were more common than was presented. Perhaps it was a case that the crew of the Flag Ship was an exceptional group.

Also, we don't really know where Data spent his time in Starfleet prior to being posted to the Enterprise. Maybe because he was so literal and logical, Starfleet felt it best to assign him to Vulcan crewed ships early on. They never really went into that part of his back story, so who knows?

 

[Christopher]

Data possessed a lot of knowledge of human culture, but without any emotional circuits (or very limited and evolving as the case eventually seemed to be) much of it would still be very difficult to comprehend, or have any context for.

Not sure "eventually" is quite the right word there, since "limited and evolving emotions" was actually the original intention for the character. In the first couple of seasons, he pretty clearly does have feelings (especially where Tasha Yar is concerned, as seen in "Skin of Evil" and "Measure of a Man"). It wasn't until Michael Piller came aboard as showrunner in the third season that Data was retconned into a being with no emotions at all. Normally Piller was one of the best TV writers of his generation with a great gift for characterization, but making Data emotionless was one decision of his that I just find silly and bewildering.

Other things to consider are that perhaps the Enterprise crew was the first to fully accept Data as an equal and be willing to interact with him as such. Maddox viewed Data as nothing more than a machine in Measure of A Man and Hobson showed outright rejudice towards him when he took command of the Sutherland in Redemption (II). Maybe their attitudes were more common than was presented. Perhaps it was a case that the crew of the Flag Ship was an exceptional group.

Also, we don't really know where Data spent his time in Starfleet prior to being posted to the Enterprise. Maybe because he was so literal and logical, Starfleet felt it best to assign him to Vulcan crewed ships early on. They never really went into that part of his back story, so who knows?

I addressed this in my novel The Buried Age, which shows Picard's "missing years" between the Stargazer and the Enterprise, including his first meeting with Data. The reasons why Data was so naive about human culture and idioms after twenty-odd years were definitely something I had to figure out in telling the story. And the conclusions I reached were similar to yours. I had him assigned to very solitary jobs for most of his pre-Picard career because nobody was comfortable around him or knew what to make of him.

 

[A beaker full of death]

Data was written as far more adult and fully formed in the first season, as were most of the characters. Watch how he refuses to let Q turn him into a human.
It was later that the show became 90210 in space.

 

[RegFan]

It's his lack of a lack of emotion that gets to me...my theory is that he actually has emotions, the emotion chip doesn't give him emotions but helps him understand that he is feeling emotions. Still, it didn't make a lot of sense.

A lot of people here have speculated that Data does have emotions.

 

[Timo]

An immortal machine would probably be in no hurry to evolve, devolve, or otherwise change...

Sure, Data might be a fast learner, but that only means that he'd quickly reach some sort of a plateau on what he can learn from humans. And stopping at that plateau to take a look around, he'd also quickly realize he was far outside the comfort zones of the humans around him. A degree of "dumbing down" could then simply be the last step in his rapid learning process. A bit like Jonah in Stargate, except that this semi-alien only had one superpower, and could hide it pretty effectively if needed; Data's whole life would have to consist of hiding the multitude of his superpowers if he really wanted to appear accurately humanlike. The Pinocchio routine would be much easier to pull off, and much less contrary to the true nature and declared ambitions of the android.

Except for the "can't use contractions" thing. That was just dumb.

But fortunately just a fan invention.

Nobody in the episodes or movies stated such a limitation, or acted upon a belief in such a limitation. The closest we ever got was that people knew Data liked to use formal language, and were amused or embarrassed or sometimes slightly alarmed when he did not. But there never was a scene where Data's use of a contraction specifically (and those were legion) would have surprised a character. Apparently, not only was Data fully capable of using those, everybody also believed him to be.

Clearly, using informal language or other nuances of communication did not come naturally to Data, and took some mastering, with Data himself always belittling his achievements in that field. And Lal, an android based on Data, adopted the fluent use of contractions after a brief study, one that our other heroes compared favorably to the similar study period Data apparently had taken. But these reputed teething troubles never manifested in the Data we saw in and after "Encounter at Farpoint".

Timo Saloniemi

 

[flemm]

But fortunately just a fan invention.

Nobody in the episodes or movies stated such a limitation, or acted upon a belief in such a limitation. The closest we ever got was that people knew Data liked to use formal language, and were amused or embarrassed or sometimes slightly alarmed when he did not. But there never was a scene where Data's use of a contraction specifically (and those were legion) would have surprised a character. Apparently, not only was Data fully capable of using those, everybody also believed him to be.

As I recall, in Future Imperfect, Riker reacts to virtual Data's use of a contraction as further proof that it cannot really be Data. One can at least infer from this that Data doesn't use contractions, whether or not he is capable of doing so. I think the contraction is "can't," quite a common one, and Riker's reaction is immediate: "What did you just say? You used a contraction!"

Given Data's quest to be more fully human, it's unclear why he wouldn't use contractions if he were able to. He would at least try, but Riker's reaction only makes sense if we infer that Data's use of a simple contraction is unheard of.

 

[Timo]

As I recall, in Future Imperfect, Riker reacts to virtual Data's use of a contraction as further proof that it cannot really be Data.

It's more like he further confounds the fake Data after already deciding he must be a fraud. And of course, the reactions of the fake Data are also to some degree a figment of Riker's imagination...

One can at least infer from this that Data doesn't use contractions, whether or not he is capable of doing so.

Definitely, but only in the statistical sense. He seldom uses contradictions, but he does use them every now and then - and this would never attract attention unless Data were already under suspicion for being a fraud, his evil twin brother, temporarily crazy once again, or so forth.

Riker is on a roll there, mercilessly attacking his "fellow crew members". Say, he'd accuse "LaForge" of a limp dick based on his generally poor track record with women if he thought that would goad a reaction from this sinister fiend, without for a second thinking that the real LaForge would have potency problems. Data would be easy prey in any case, and "Data" really awakens the predator in Riker...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Christopher]

Given Data's quest to be more fully human, it's unclear why he wouldn't use contractions if he were able to. He would at least try, but Riker's reaction only makes sense if we infer that Data's use of a simple contraction is unheard of.

And that's a problem of conceptual drift on the part of TNG's writers. If you listen carefully to the lines in "Datalore," it's never actually stated that Data can't use contractions, just that it's his normal tendency to speak "more formally than Lore." But later writers in episodes like "The Offspring" and "Future Imperfect" misread that and treated it as if using contractions were something he simply wasn't capable of (for instance, when Lal used a contraction, everyone reacted to it as an amazing breakthrough that surpassed Data's limitations).

 

[Timo]

...Of course, it was amazing coming from a six-hour-old.

It's not as if "Future Imperfect" (with all its deliberate unrealism) and "Offspring" would be major showstoppers, despite writer shortcomings. Data has always used contractions, typically without comment - and in both of those episodes, it's somebody else who gets attention because of contraction use!

Perhaps the broader issue here might be that Data is good at doing the expected, and a sucker for winning acceptance. If being somewhat independent and strongheaded in the first seasons didn't seem to pay off socially, then "regressing" to a less mature-looking, perhaps more comically stereotypical type of behavior would be a natural thing for him to do. He can still hold his own where it counts, such as in "Redemption".

Timo Saloniemi

 

[flemm]

Having Data avoid using contractions and generally speak more formally than his fellow crew memers was a convenient way of differentiating his speech patterns from everybody else's. From that standpoint, I think it is justifiable.

On the other hand, it was a mistake to focus on this as a characteristic of Data's linguistic capacity from an in-universe perspective because it is a limitation that makes no sense. From the on-screen evidence we can fanwank some elaborate justifications for Data's behavior, but it strikes me as a rather silly creative choice to place such emphasis on what is essentially a superificial device to call attention to Data's distinctiveness.

 

[BillJ]

But fortunately just a fan invention.

Actually mentioned in Datalore when Wesley is with Lore when they find Data's deactivated body in his quarters.

WESLEY: I'd suggest you forget imitating him. If you'd said we've been using the sensors, instead of we have, I might have suspected you were Lore.
LORE: Yes. I do use language more formally than Lore. Please inform the Captain I will come up to the Bridge and report on this.

 

[Mark Antony]

Data was an absolutely brilliant character. He would have made a great captain I was watching Gambit II recently, and he made Worf look like a complete dickhead - and nobody else has ever done that.

"For an android with no feelings, he sure managed to evoke them in others."

I totally agree with you Commander Riker.

 

[Mojochi]

Other things to consider are that perhaps the Enterprise crew was the first to fully accept Data as an equal and be willing to interact with him as such. Maddox viewed Data as nothing more than a machine in Measure of A Man and Hobson showed outright rejudice towards him when he took command of the Sutherland in Redemption (II). Maybe their attitudes were more common than was presented. Perhaps it was a case that the crew of the Flag Ship was an exceptional group.

Also, we don't really know where Data spent his time in Starfleet prior to being posted to the Enterprise. Maybe because he was so literal and logical, Starfleet felt it best to assign him to Vulcan crewed ships early on. They never really went into that part of his back story, so who knows?

^This. I always just figured Data hadn't been as fully accepted by crew mates in prior assignments. We don't even know how he moved up the ranks. It could've been a more recent development, within the past couple years, & until them, he could've just drifted around in lower positions, because no one thought he'd be a particularly good fit for any important positions. He could have just been a sciences or operations drone for a couple decades, & never got any large amount substantial social interaction, until the recent years

This might be hard to imagine for a Human officer, to stay that stunted for so long, but Data isn't Human

 

[Shatnertage]

There were definite blind spots in Data's knowledge, which aren't always consistent and sometimes make no sense.

Take poker, for example. I forget the episode, but it might have been the first time we saw the officers playing. Data says that he read pretty much every book ever written on the game. Then Riker bluffs his way to a pot, and Data as absolutely astounded--he simply can't believe that Riker went all-in (or whatever the bet was) with poor cards.

The problem is that bluffing is fundamental to the game, and any book you read about poker will talk about bluffing, often in great detail.

Probably a case where the writers hadn't read any books about poker, but it's something that always bothered me.

 

[sonak]

Right. See that's exactly what I'm talking about. This guy's supposed to have encyclopedic knowledge about stuff like this, human games, human culture, stuff that would be readily accessible. And yet on some days he acts like he just encountered humans that morning. And he was often still like this in later seasons! While characters like Worf got actual development during TNG's run, Data just got stagnation.